San Francisco

This past Memorial Day weekend Ben and I went to visit my sister, Braea, and her boyfriend, Zac, in San Francisco! They moved there last summer and we have been itching to go and visit! San Francisco is an amazing city filled with spectacular food, rich history, charming neighborhoods, and many, many fun things to do and see! My sister knows my love language and planned an entire weekend of sight seeing and fun activities, she even made me an itinerary! She knows the way to my heart! haha Here are just a few of the many places we explored.

Saturday we ate at Tropiseuno for lunch - my sister's favorite Mexican restaurant! It did not disappoint and to be honest I ended up drinking several cups of salsa because it was that stinkin' good and I am that deprived of decent Mexican food in Denver!

First stop on Saturday was-- Pier 39! This is the sight of the famous sea lions and stunning views of Alcatraz and the bay!

We also visited (from left to right): 1) The Financial District, 2) Fisherman's Wharf, and 3) Hiked some serious hills to Lombard Street.

We also visited all 3 Ghirardelli's in the city, including the original one! The specialty desserts here are delectable! I highly recommend sharing though because they are so rich and the sizes are really big.

I couldn't get enough of the beautiful views in San Francisco. It seemed like every corner we turned there was another amazing view! This was at the top of a large hill on the way to Lombard Street after leaving Pier 39.

Lombard Street is the famous street with 8 hairpin turns. This was quite the tourist attraction, let me tell ya! If I must admit - I had no idea what this was but it was quite beautiful and really charming/captivating. Below are some of the amazing flowers that grow up the side of some of the houses throughout San Francisco, and specifically Lombard Street.

We also trekked down to Ocean Beach to see Riley's favorite place in San Fran! If you don't know who Riley is, just look for the happiest puppy you have ever seen running on the beach below!

P.S. The beaches in San Fran are not the kind you wear your bikini to and lay out in, they are the kind that you need at least 2 north faces and uggs on to survive the wind chill!

On Sunday we made our way out to Napa to explore! The views and crispness of the air out in Napa are unrivaled and just breathtaking. We thoroughly enjoyed our time visiting the wineries, sitting in the sun, and just laughing and catching up!

After Artesa, we stopped by the oldest grocery store in California, Oakville Grocery, which was founded in 1881! Here we grabbed some Italian bread, sheep milk cheese, and some prosciutto as well as some sandwiches to take to the next place to snack on! We went to Sequoia Grove next, where they let you bring in outside food as long as you purchase a tasting, glass, or bottle! Their outside patio was so relaxing and we enjoyed sitting among the trees while telling silly stories!

Our final winery of the day was at Peju Province Winery, it was open late (6 pm in Napa) and the lawn was just so appealing. You can see in the background that many people had the same idea as us! Although - one guy decided to take a little nap, so I would say he really ENJOYED this lawn! haha

A few tips I have for anyone travelling to San Francisco:

1) Bring a jacket, or multiple! It is frequently cool in the morning, evenings, and any time the sun hides behind the clouds!

2) Bring your walking shoes, and don't even attempt trying to walk all over town in high heels, wedges, or new shoes! You won't look nerdy I promise, people know the hills are steep haha.

3) Be prepared to add about a 10% surcharge on your meals due to the Mandate that covers employees in the service industry's healthcare.

4) Uber is the way to go!! Uber is headquartered in San Francisco and they seem to always be testing new market ideas out here. Hey - you may even meet Zac as your driver!

We so enjoyed hanging out with Braea & Zac and seeing what their every day life looks like! I miss my sister SO SO much so this weekend was very needed! I can't wait until our next adventure!!! Until next time San Francisco!